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My First Visa Debit Card

Teenage years are all about new experiences. Everyone's a rookie first time around and it can be easy to make a mistake. Some mistakes can be costly so we are here to help you be a Money Smart Rookie and to make smart decisions about your cash with your first Visa Debit Card1

Understanding your card

1. Debit Card number: A 16-digit number unique to the card. It is not your bank account number. You’ll need to use this card number when you shop online.

2. Expiry date: All cards have an expiry date after which it can’t be used. Don’t worry, we’ll send you a new one when the date gets close. You’ll need to provide the expiry date when you shop online.

3. Call Centre: Any questions, just call this toll-free number, 13 33 30 between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday or by using the number for Overseas Assistance also displayed on the back of your card.

4. Secure chip: This little gold chip contains your information. It is what we read, when you place your card into the EFTPOS machine, to know that it is you.

5. Visa payWave: Using a Visa payWave reader is a fast way to pay in-store, and you won’t need use your PIN if the transaction is less than $100.

6. Magnetic strip: Some shops still have old EFTPOS machines so occasionally you may need to swipe the card in the machine, instead of inserting the chip.

7. Signature panel: Make sure you sign your card within the signature panel as soon as you receive your card. It makes it harder for someone to try and spend your money if you ever lose the card.

8. CVV (Card Verification Value): When buying online or over the phone, you'll often be asked to enter the last 3 digits on your card’s signature panel. It’s an extra security measure that helps keep your money safe.

Using your Card

You can use your Visa Debit Card anywhere that Visa is accepted, in Australia or Overseas. For example: at the shops, in restaurants, at ATMs, etc. Your card can be used in person, online or over the phone.

When using an EFTPOS machine or an ATM you will need to select between the Cheque, Savings, Visa Debit or Credit options to complete your transaction. When asked, you should do the following:

Press Cheque @ ATMs in Australia - when you are withdrawing cash from an ATM in Australia, you should press the Cheque option.

Press Credit @ ATMs outside Australia - when you are withdrawing cash from an overseas ATM, you should press the Credit option.

Press Visa Debit or Credit @ the Shops - when you are purchasing something from a shop, whether shopping here or overseas. On some terminals, the 'Credit' option may appear as 'Visa Debit'.

Visa payWave - Wave to go when you see the contactless symbol on an EFTPOS machine, you will be able to use the payWave option. After the cashier has entered the purchase amount, hold your card over the reader. 4 green lights will appear when your transaction is complete.

Remember, this is not a credit card even though you might be choosing a button called Credit. When you buy something or withdraw from an ATM, no matter which button you select the money always comes out of your own bank account.

Some places such as McDonalds, 7-Eleven, Coles and Woolworths will let you ‘pay with a wave’ – this is called Visa payWave. Just hold your card close to the reader and wait for the signal letting you know the payment is done. It’s that easy. Plus, for transactions less than $100 you won’t need to enter a PIN or sign. It’s a safe and fast way to pay.

You will always need to give online retailers your card number and expiry date on the card. Some online checkouts might also ask for your CVV or Card Verification Value. You’ll find these 3 digits on your signature panel.

Managing your account

Opening your first account can be exciting - but you need to know how to manage your account and keep track of your finances. Here are some tips to help you stay on track.

If there isn’t enough cash in your account to cover what you want to buy or withdraw from the ATM then generally the answer we will send back will be “declined” and you won’t be able to continue.

While it’s unlikely, in some instances a transaction may go through even when there may not be enough cash in your account. This causes your balance to drop below $0 and is called ‘overdrawing’ the account. If your account gets overdrawn by mistake (possibly due to the shop not checking with us first), give us a call on 13 33 30 and we’ll work with you to make sure your account is put right.

You can check your balance and a record of transactions at any time with Internet or mobile banking. Regular checking of your transaction history or eStatement is a good habit to get into. It helps you keep track of where you’re spending your money (and makes sure no-one else is spending it).

If something doesn’t look quite right, maybe you were overcharged or you bought something online that never arrived, then let us know straight away and we can help you sort it out. Your Visa Debit Card includes chargeback protection, which lets us reverse transactions, if required. But you need to let us know about the transaction as soon as possible.

MoneyMeter is the fast and convenient way to check how much cash you have at any time without the need to logon to Mobile Banking. It’s just a simple swipe (iPhone) or tap (Android) from the home screen. Remember you need to be registered for Internet Banking to use the iPhone or Android Mobile Banking app.

You can register to receive email or SMS alerts, which let you know when cash goes in or out of your account. All email alerts are free, as are the first 10 SMS alerts each month ($0.25 per message after). Please log on to Internet or Mobile banking and activate Alerts (under the Services tab).

When someone you don’t know sends you an email asking for your personal details or your bank information, it is called ‘phishing’. Sometimes they might pretend to be someone you do know, such as your bank. Remember, your bank will never email you asking for your banking and login details.

Scammers will try and use any details you give them to rip you off so the best thing to do is to delete their email straight away and make sure you don’t click on any links or reply to them.

Buying stuff online is generally safe and we will always cover you for transactions you did not authorise, but a simple rule to avoid any hassles is to only buy from safe, secure sites that you have chosen to visit.

If you receive a link or web address from someone you don’t know the safest thing to do is ignore it.

Only give your card details over the phone if you have arranged for the purchase. Just like email phishing and shopping online, be very careful when it comes to receiving calls from people wanting you to buy something and requesting your card details.

If you have any questions regarding your new Visa Debit Card, please contact us on 13 33 30, 8am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday.

St.George Visa Debit cards are only available to customers who are 14 and older and who have an Australian residential address. In order to access eStatements and MoneyMeter, customers must first register for Internet Banking. Once registered for Internet banking, simply download the App from the App Store or Google Play and follow the prompts to register for MoneyMeter. You should read the terms and conditions which apply to Internet Banking before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. Internet connection is required to download St.George mobile apps from the App Store or Google Play. Information is current at time of download and subject to change. Normal data charges apply. Please check with your mobile phone service or internet provider for details. Apple, the Apple logo and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc. St.George - A Division of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714.

Conditions, fees and charges apply. These may change or we may introduce new ones in the future. Full details are available on request. Lending criteria apply to approval of credit products. This information does not take your personal objectives, circumstances or needs into account. Consider its appropriateness to these factors before acting on it. Read the disclosure documents for your selected product or service, including the Terms and Conditions or Product Disclosure Statement, before deciding. Unless otherwise specified, the products and services described on this website are available only in Australia from Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714.